Chekov Goes On The Today Show For Help Finding His Son
It wasn't until after I wrote the post about Andrew Koenig missing in Vancouver that I realized his dad Walter Koenig played Chekov on Star Trek. Earlier this week the Vancouver police said they believe that Andrew Koenig is alive but there still has been no word from the actor since he showed up in the city. Andrew, who played Boner on the show Growing Pains was very depressed and has been battling depression said his father. In a plea earlier this week, Kirk Cameron, who was the star of Growing Pains also asked for Andrew to contact him and that he would help him however he could. Against the backdrop of The Olympics is the search for Andrew. I really do hope they find him.
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32 comments:
Sounds to me like the guy doesn't want to be found.
we hear more about this story online than we do here locally..thnx Enty.
I feel so bad for him & his parents. I hope he is okay.
As an aside, could a character be named Boner on a network tv show airing today?
Depression is a very hard battle. I hope this ends well, his family and friends obviously love him very much.
I didn't know it was Walter's son, either, though the thought crossed my mind.
I got to interview Walter Koenig years ago. What a sweet fellow!!!!!!
I don't think this is going to have a happy ending. His sister was on Larry King and she admitted that he sold all his belongings and vacated his home in CA and basically went to Canada with no plans.
His freinds were surprised he just showed up. He used to live in Canada. I think he went to the place that made him most happy and ended his life quietly somewhere.
I hope he finds peace on whatever plane of the universe he is on now.
It drives me nuts that the reporter asks what Andrew Koenig was depressed about. It's a disease; there doesn't have to be something specific (externally) causing his depression. And even if there is, what does it matter, other than for prurient reporting?
Sadly, I agree with Apple.
We all want this to turn out well. I hope he's hanging out at the Olympics and just needed chill out for a while.
Giving away your possessions is not a good sign though.
Skittle, as a recovering journalist and as someone with mild depression, I don't think the question was out of line, especially when someone is missing and everyone's grasping at straws as to where he might have gone. I didn't think the question automatically assumed that depression is not a diagnosed condition that doesn't need contributing factors, but in many cases, there is a traumatic event that triggers it or exacerbates it. I know there is in my case at least.
Christine...I think they got away with "Boner" as it was a reference to his last name 'Stabone', as opposed to the obvious body part reference.
Man, I was hoping he would turn up (alive) by now.
his cell phone hasn't been turned on since Feb.14...sad.
this is really sad : (
i hope they find him but i have to say it doesnt look good. at all. seems to me like he doesn't want to be found.
years ago a family friend's son disappeared after stopping his meds for bipolar disorder and being dishonorably discharged from the air force. his family had no idea where he was for over SEVEN years! think about that...i mean every time the phone rang they thought it could be him. my mom finally went to this old greek psychic with a hat that once belonging to him. this lady touched the hat and told my mom "he's dead and i dont know if they will ever find him."
when his body finally turned up it was revealed that he had driven his car all the way into a wooded area on the west coast (he was originally from nj), went over 5 miles in, and hung himself.
terrible loss.
sorry mistake ^^^ he abandoned his car in a remote area and then walked over 5 miles in
I had a friend complete suicide years ago. Sadly I understood his depression but there just isn't any closure.
I do hope that they find him alive and are able to help him with his depression.
I hope this guy is okay, it seems he has a lot of love waiting for him and it sounds like he's having a really hard time.
Depression is such a pain in the a**. You can feel completely lonely by yourself and invisible and as if your life really is worthless in those dark times, and I think it's important to realize that if you have that or experience that, many other people deal with those same feelings. It just really is important to stress that as cliche as it sounds
oh, that heartbroken daddy! how devastating. i so hope he andrew turns up safe and alive.
I hate that this seems to be a story with a presumably tragic ending. I remember him from the show well and always found him to be humourous.
As for depression, having studied psych. for years and as I have a sister who is a recovered major depressive (after three suicide attempts, one of them nearly fatal), it's mostly a learned behaviour and repetitive thought pattern. You get into the routine of being down and a downward spiral ensues, but I must stress that it is something most people will recover from if they get the proper help which is NOT meds alone. Again, if you're someone who has issues with depression, as most people do in their lives at some point, you can get past it if you can retrain your thoughts. This is not easy, obviously, but it can be done. I've been there.
I hope Andrew is found alive and that he can begin to heal, but no, it doesn't sound like a good situation.
i was shocked to hear this... i DID know he was walter's son, one can only hope he's hanging with friends (walter said it was a place he'd found happiness before) and is okay.
having a bi-polar child, especially a grown one (syko, we still haven't talked) is a day to day thing.
i grew up a trekkie, and was actually a member of the walter koenig fan club a million years ago. i'll pray for them all.
I agree, Apple.
My depression is certainly NOT a learned behaviour. My depression is a hardcore chemical imbalance that I've been struggling with since childhood.
Sadly I completely understand the desire to end it, and I hope he had a change of heart. But yeah, I agree with Apple. I just don't feel a happy ending here. :(
I thought I heard on GMA this morning that the police said there was activity on his ATM card? Maybe I was just hoping...
I have battled major depression for a few years now. I work, Kat, on retraining my thoughts and "counting my blessing" as it were, but I look in the mirror and at my life and see the effect it has had on me. It runs in my family to be depressed, addicted, whatever. My uncle committed suicide in August and I couldn't speak for two days. No one deserves to be left behind like that. But my uncle is in a better place, and it was his battle, no one else's.
I am here because of my son. I have great friends and family but I have a wonky chemical imbalance that I struggle with every day. My heart goes out to Andrew and his family.
I thought the morning show said he was Chekov's grandson, not son
I hate it for him and i hate that his family and friends have to keep waiting and wondering. Sending prayers their way.
Jen and Dulcinea,
Sorry to hear that you both struggle with depression. It's a rough go for anyone who suffers it and in my opinion, it's worse than a physical ailment. You can't find it in an x-ray, which makes it frustrating on top of debilitating.
I didn't mean to imply that anyone brings it on them self by 'thinking depressed', but it is very well known that the way one thinks influences the hormones in their bodies. Some people need meds to control it, sure, but most people can change the way their bodies function through changing their thought patterns. It is incredibly difficult, but as I said, is widely practiced with cognitive behavioural therapy. Don't settle for the 'it's your hormones' diagnosis. My sister did and it nearly killed her (the meds actually increased her desire to commit suicide). We're talking ten years of hearing that over and over, and what finally worked was talking it out and hypnotherapy. She's now been recovered for twelve years, which, if you'd known how bad she was before, seems nothing short of a miracle.
As for the hypnosis, I really think it's an important method of recovery. Regression therapy is currently working wonders on people suffering from chronic depression. One study I recently read about had a positive effect on 80% of the ninety people who were regressed. Hard to swallow, given that we are part of a 'drug culture', but as I have said, I know people who are completely recovered and they are all in agreement that talking it out is the best course of action.
Depression makes me angry and I hate that anyone suffers it. I wish the best for the both of you.
Fingers crossed for Andrew.
I really hope they find him alive soon and that he just needed time away.
I'm another depression sufferer. I've had periods of major depression. I've been struggling lately (but it's better). It's tough.
The biggest thing that keeps me alive is that I just couldn't do that to my family.
I am really sad about this. I am a regular listener to the Never Not Funny podcast he does camera work for and always got the feeling he was not doing with his life what he found worthwhile. He seemed to cringe when people brought up his Boner role there and I wonder if he only got this gig due to the host being his in-law. He is very passionate about activism, especially human rights offenses in Burma. I hope he realizes that he can make a positive impact instead of looking for a way out.
Another depressive here, on meds & stuff...I hope he's just off the grid for now & makes contact soon. I can't imagine departing this mortal coil without leaving word with family/friends - it's just not considerate.
If I were to snuff it, I'd make sure there was no one (pets ESPECIALLY included) who'd need/look for me 'cause it's not fair to them. So, yeah. Before you decide to go, make sure there's no one who'll suffer from your decision. I don't think enough people take this into consideration.
I have a depressed (chemical imbalance/bi-polar/manic) bf!!! He's come a long way since we met and I feel it may be because I encourage him not to use his illness as an excuse. That no matter what you need to press on and do the best you can.
I agree a lot of it his problem was learned behavior which had been accepted/excused in the past. He's far more mellow now.
I also have depression which I have struggled with for over 20 years. Sometimes I take medicine, sometimes I don't need to. Lately it's escalated into anxiety (panic attacks) so I'm back on medication.
Depression is a horrible disease because you don't know where your natural thoughts end and the depressive ones begin. You start to lose track of what's a healthy perspective and what is a result of your chemical imbalance.
Much love and concern to this man and his family & friends. I hope he is just taking a break and will return to those who care about him. As a friend said recently, "There is always a way out of a box." So please don't give up!
RIP, Andrew. You will be missed.
I agree with Skittlekitty, it's no one's business to ask what 'caused' the depression, even if it was triggered by a traumatic event. Even though Nunaurbiz feels such a question is valid for the purposes of journalistic inquiry, I am disappointed that as a self-confessed mildly depressed person, Nunaurbiz feels that it is okay to probe into an area that is very private and distressing for the depressed person. Putting a distressed person or their relative in a position where they feel obligated to reveal distressing details is NOT in the public interest, and only adds further distress to the depressed person and their family.
I've been there too, and the pain is unbearable when you've reached the stage of wanting to end it all. I suspect that Nunaurbiz has not truly suffered from his/her depression to the same extent as people like Andrew Koenig, myself, some posters on this thread, and others who have attempted or completed suicide due to severe depression. It's actually quite insensitive for a reporter to publicly attempt to delve into a such a private area for the depressed person, and it is this kind of reporting that can tip an unstable mind over the edge.
I am glad that Nunaurbiz has never been so unhappy as Andrew was, otherwise s/he would've understood how distressing and invasive it is to be asked to reveal traumatic events for prurient reporting.
RIP Andrew. Hope you are at peace now.
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